LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Woodard had 22 points and seven assists while Rashard Odomes added 15 points to help Oklahoma pull away with an 89-70 win over Tulane in the first round of the Tire Pros Invitational on Thursday night.

In a game that was close throughout the first half, the Sooners' superior athleticism and depth took control in the second half as they increased a slim lead to a double-digit advantage for much of the final 20 minutes.

“It was a really hard-fought game," said OU head coach Lon Kruger. "Coach Dunleavy has done a great job with his group in a short amount of time. I thought they showed great discipline doing the things they wanted to do. They had us out of rhythm in the first half. Our guys regrouped and played a little better and more aggressively in the second half but it was a good battle and a good one to win for sure."

The Sooners (2-0) seemed to take control early in the second half when Kristian Doolittle and Woodard both knocked down big shots. Oklahoma went ahead by 10 points with 12:19 remaining when Woodard converted two free throws to make it 56-46.

Tulane kept close in the first half and trailed the Sooners only 38-35 at halftime. The Green Wave got strong performances from several players, including Cameron Reynolds, who had nine points and Von Julien came off the bench to add eight points in the first half.

Odomes led the Sooners in the opening half with seven points and Jordan Woodard added six points.

“We had some really young lineups on many occasions tonight," said Kruger. "It’s going to be a club that individually we’ll see people get more comfortable with each game."

Reynolds led the Green Wave (1-2) with 19 points and both Ryan Smith and Malik Morgan added 10 points.

Both OU and Tulane shot in the 40 percent range in half where there were two lead changes with Tulane leading by as many as four points and the Sooners' biggest lead was eight points.

Oklahoma will face Northern Iowa in the semifinals of the Tire Pros Invitation on Friday, Nov. 18. The game will tip at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU. Friday’s contest will be the first ever meeting between the Sooners and Panthers. Northern Iowa advanced to the finals earlier on Thursday by defeating Arizona State, 82-63. Oklahoma will face either Clemson or Xavier in the tournament’s third and final game on Sunday.

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